Return to Beginning (IC)

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(This is the IC of "Return to Beginning")
(For OOC click here)

You had said your goodbyes, made your peace and remembered your regrets as death took you. Little did you know that death was not the end. Your characters will wake up in a new world as themselves before they died. Is this heaven? Hell? Is this the life after death or are you really dead? Somewhere in this foreign world, the answers lie in wait; What will it take to find them?

It is the year 948 After Lunar; Lunar being the mark of the last cycle as the world and its moon passed in sync with the nearest star in the heavens every 1,172 years. The calender divided into thirteen months, each spanning between twenty-two to twenty-five days on a 24 hour cycle. Seasons occur across the green belt that covers the center equator of the planet, the only truly habitable area across the spanning, spanning across a continent and roughly one and one-half thousand miles in width on average. The rest of the world a desert winter, though it is claimed by some there are oasis' far in the reaches of what is known as the Arctic Deserts.

In the East, Lauxite has an event which has not occurred since the day its wall were finished; the Western gate opened wide and a number of small black vehicles, smooth like roaches but seemed to glide across the untouched terrain and faded paths. Moving with ferocity the vehicles created a sonic boom, screaming across the plains toward the Neiklot marshlands, a large sparsely inhabited marshy area which creates a deep fog during its nights as bitter winds swoop in during the cold nights there.
Above the Western gate, three stood shrouded in the shadow of their own silhouettes. Each of them slender in build, thin and tall but a strange look about them stole the quiet scene, leaving an intensity to mingle with the night air. Behind them, Tauxite shone brightly, its many lights illuminated the plains for miles, bouncing off the thin clouds gathering above, hiding the tops of towers in the cloudy haze. Only the whirring of transformers on power-lines seemed to echo through the edge of the city, deeper inside the faint sound of other mechanical and some natural sounds resonated, though much of the city slept at such a late hour.

An event which has marked a significant change in the world of Terminus, which will bring about an end to the world as it is known. But it is an odyssey, even to the foreign God's unknown to this world, what fate will befall this world; a world much older than it could know.
 
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The air hung with a certain stillness through the marshes North of Madris. The wildlife chirped away in a symphony of clicks, yawns and buzzes as it had done for hundreds if not thousands of years. Hardly a sign of sentient life was present in this place, but a small beaten path wound through the trees and past small ponds of standing water. Through the thick canopy above the moon hung heavy at its full state, giving the forest a blue hue complimented by the earthly color of the brown and green forest. Yet, among the activity of the forest life a faint pop brought a momentary silence.

A young pale woman with long black hair and a pair of brilliant feathered wings, colored off-white and varying shades of brown. She lay face up, her big eyes lay shut with a bit of morning dew forming on the tip of her short eye lashes. Otherwise nude, exposed to the world around her, yet not a reaction seemed to stir to her sudden presence. Her thin body nestled between to large tree roots, as if a cradle grown for this very moment many years ago; beside her a thick plain red cloak lay folded to her side, a pair of leather sheathed swords with glistening steel hilts wrapped in a fine violet cloth.

Her eyelids stirred faintly, a haunting yet brilliant infinite shade of black shone through.

You need to wake up now.

A childlike whisper beckoned from the mind.

You need to wake up now.

It repeated this a few times as her body began to stir as well; stretching with a silent yawn, she felt her muscles and skin tighten and relax as if she'd been asleep for some time and then it occurred to her. She attempted to jump up and felt her legs give out under her, landing in a patch of grass next to the roots. Looking around wildly she tried to make sense of things; as the last thing she remembered was the explosion which. . . she felt her heart flutter as she thought about everyone else. What happened? Did I, die? But I've come to the brink of death before only to be pushed back into mortality. But I know I died. Her head spun trying to make sense of her situation, feeling an intense amount of pressure suddenly falling upon her soul. She then saw them, her swords, her steel sisters. She rushed toward them as a mother to a child and cradled their cold steel to her chest, feeling a sense of familiarity come over her.

She stood without falter this time and stretched her wings wide and inspected them; then inspecting her own body, realizing she was young again, her skin smooth and her wings a full brown and white as they once were. I haven't felt this way for so long, I can still remember the day I learned to fly. She smiled faintly, hiding a certain sense of sadness associated with the memory. She restrained herself and took the cloak which lay next to her swords and through it over herself after cutting a large hole in the back so she may slip her wings through. Then strapping her brace over her shoulders, she felt the comforting weight of her swords which had been dubbed "Redemption" and "Reconciliation"; each a fine work forged by heavenly powers in order to sustain the demon blood forced into her veins so long ago after a naive young woman thought she'd be able to delve into the deepest reaches of Human and Elvish kinds mistakes. Made a vampiric creature by the most unusual of vampires, one which dabbled the magic of the blood in ways even the darker creatures would shun.

She strode down a small path formed from something other than animal or natural forces, in hopes of finding something other than wilderness in this new world. Her name, Tiana Koul, the holy demon of another world and brought from death by forces unknown.
 
I don't remember a time when I'd not known anger and rage, 'nor have there been enough times where I have been held in another's arms, free to fall away from the enigmatic problems of the world I'd grown to know. Whether it be chaos, order, rage or peace; I'd forgotten what it had been like to dream in silence. No haunting memories or distant hell's which I'd known would ever back down, treating what it left of my soul to exquisite pain and great trials of endurance. But now, it all seems whisked away for but a fleeting moment, as I find myself in unfamiliar territory; a place beyond my death, a death which I knew had come and a death I'd embraced with utmost love and certainty that my role in this endless dimension had come to a close. But no.

With great fury fueling my heart, but a certain serenity enveloped it, leaving a calm I'd not felt since my younger years over two centuries ago. Those who cared for me and those whom I'd grown to love as both friend and family. But here I am, alone again, as I was before my journey started. Deja'vu struck me like white hot coals. I felt my skin wish to recoil as my every muscle winced. I would not be thrown down the same path again; a path which brought but moments of peace, but a lifetime of self-destruction and furious anger. I can, even now, feel the skin of my ears and neck become hot as my blood drew to a boil. I hated it. I wanted to be done with it, but I'd never learned to just stop, it was a notion that I would have nothing to do with.

Tiana, in a fit, drew her left sword Redemption and in a fit took a few swipes at a near tree. It groaned and began to crash, its trunk split and splintered with but three blows directed from her fury as her mind brooded on the madness of her life, or was it a previous life? It didn't matter, it all continued. Despite her martyrdom, sacrifice and faith... she felt she was left to suffer the woes of life yet again. In an impulse she screamed, as loud as she could; she screamed until her throat felt scratched and bruised and all that was left was a lonesome woman, crying alone in a foreign world; missing her love more than anything.

"Please..." She cried out, "...tell me! WHY MUST I GO ON!?"

The sky did not answer, 'nor did the forest or its soil. The wildlife has paused at the screams of anger, but resumed without delay. Though somehow comforting, she knew this would get her nowhere. So Tiana stood back to her feet, sheathed the brilliant Redemption and continued on toward the light of civilization which shone just beyond the marshy forest.
 
A light sprinkle of dust floated on the wind and into Mervin's sleeping face. He stirred, frowned, and reached up a bony hand to shoo it away. His agile mind whirred lazily into action, but he would rather sink back into slumber. It had been such a nice slumber, he thought. Free of dreams, free of nightmares. Free of worry. He'd liked it quite alot.

It is time to awaken.

Bah! Lies! Hokey and tomfoolery! He was quite fine as he was, and no whispering voice was going to convince him otherwise.

A fearesome howl spurned his decision. Mervin was bolt upright in a flash, his blurry vision searching the horizon. Had it been a howl, now that he thought on it? Had it not been... a scream? oh, psh. Certainly not!

He slammed two palms against his face and ran his fingers over his cheekbones. No? nothing! He reached for the ground, his hand searching through the rough grass. Ah! His spectacles. The man picked them up and placed them on the bridge of his nose, only for them to immediately fall an inch or two. He sighed, pushing them indignantly back up.

Now, where was he?

Mervin must of been in his late twenties. He was a tad on the tall side, but such a lithe scrawny fellow. It wouldn't of been hard to think he didn't feed himself properly. It was just his build, and he felt alot of resentment for having it. His hair was a deep chestnut brown and with a bit of a fluff to it, having perhaps never been combed a day in his life. He wasn't a handsome man, but neither was he ugly - simply average, almost unnoticably so. The only unusual thing about him was his intelligent light hazel eyes, which seemed tinted with the slightest shade of light green. A peculiar mix.

Right now, the wizard was sitting in the buff on a hillside he didn't recognise, his spellbook and a deepsea blue cloak by his side, a marshy forest to his back and a civilisation beyond him. He had no idea how he got here, or what on earth he'd been doing beforehand to wind up in such an unusual place. He cast a suspicious glance towards the book beside him. Wouldn't be the first time, accursed thing. At least this wasn't a noblewoman's powder room.

Speaking of women, Mervin was unaware of the woman approaching from the forest's edge.
 
Tiana broke free to the edge of the forest, finding a great clearing and small rolling hills greeting her. Beyond that, a great city lay out in front of her, stretching for miles and miles. The city itself had more of a glow than bright lights, much of its glow came from residual magics cast to illuminate the streets, alleys and darker areas of the cities inner workings. She continued forward over a few acres of farmland and came to a pause; thoughts of her old friends came to mind and she wished to know if they still lived. It weighed heavily on her soul. She'd no idea how much time had passed, whether it was but days, years or even a millennium. Could they all be dead and gone? She paused and felt her body tremble, I'm surprised I've any feelings like this left in me... Tiana thought to herself. But I remember... do I remember?

Some time ago...

It was the fifty-fifth year the airship Alvion, named after the late king, Lord Alvion XI; its fine brass colored hull had been weathered, but remained durable and strong, an imposing figure upon the bright blue sky yet one which calmed the hearts of those who remembered the king and his regime those many years ago. Below the land turned to sea, passing away from the Alvion homelands over the Great Sea, its destination the heart of Kurast; the great jungle continent where black powder and the weapon called the cannon had been first put to use during a great civil war. Though unrest had bulged its ugly little head yet again, transports did not halt their routes across the ocean.

As for the ship, there was no outside deck, save for a platform of catwalks beneath the ships hull where one could peer over the sides and watch the world pass hundreds of feet beneath. Inside, many passengers readied for the up and coming night as the eastern skies began to grow dark; small dinner parties and other festivities took place, but would soon die down. By midnight the ship ran nearly silent, its internal engines muffled to but a whisper and its propellers swiftly cut through the air with grace. Then a hatch on its lower level opened and grown fine woman emerged onto the catwalk; two great wings trailed behind, scrunched up so they too may fit through the hatch, while fine long graying hair drooped over the nubs on her back where they protruded.

She remained silent as she rested her tired head against the cool bars of the catwalk, the open air comforted her and soothed the flesh beneath her cramped and crumpled feathers. She didn't like remaining indoors, much less tucked away within an airship. Tight corridors and prying eyes, as few people ever witnessed a vampire she-demon in the flesh, even less who had seen one that wasn't trying to kill you. She didn't like the attention and wished to shy away from it in the wee late hours of the night. She thought about diving from the airship and sailing beneath for a few moments but stayed her feet and wings, no need for more undue attention. At that moment the hatch turned and opened, a tall husky man with a great physique squeezed his way out. Tiana knew it was Qardo, there were few who had such great muscle and size as he did.

"Sleep doesn't come easy." He spoke, resting his broad back against the railing opposite Tiana, "Or at least, not for you." He paused, waiting for a reply and continued on, "We don't have to go back. You were there for over fifty years and you came back a different woman than any of us knew. I questioned whether or not you'd..."

"Q, you know that I have wrestled with that demon blood for many years beforehand and even now." Tiana hissed, though she intended no hatred, she cared not for the subject of her own ailments which haunted here every waking moment, "I have been entrusted with greater sources to keep my own mind at peace, gifts from both mortal and God alike; put your mind at ease my friend." She calmed her voice, knowing she'd fired back at him in an unreasonable fashion.

"I... I understand Tiana. It's just that, we worry don't you know? Garvin, Bea, Tiaz, Rakku and I. Even Njanju would check in on occasion to see if you'd ever come back. . . But then, out of nowhere you show up at the crack of dawn on the same day it all came full circle?" Qardo dared not name the events of those fifty-six years ago, for they both already knew so much but wished it were all a dream.

"It's fate, as it would be and always would be. Despite even the intervention of Gods, deus ex machina and even the influence of Hell like demons, the world changed; even more so, we knew it would happen again! What did you do? You all waited for over fifty years until I returned to finally do something! But when... when I saw you and Rakku." She clenched her eyes shut, holding back tears of agony and joy as her hands gripped the rail tight enough to leave indention's, "You two had barely aged a day. I would understand the others but you two. I thought you'd both be dead, leaving only the others or your children or even your children's children to greet me upon the day I'd arrive." She loosed her grip on the rail and turned to Qardo, she wore not one expression, but many; clouded together to leave her unreadable to Qardo, "But here you still are. It seems the magics of this world have never failed to..." She stopped mid sentence and fell onto his chest, her hands embraced his shoulders, "Please. I beg you; don't die before I do."

It was a blur, the sky cracked open and world tore itself apart as the memory sped on. As if another hundred years shuttered past her minds eye up until that moment, when she was sure death was upon her...

...present.

Tiana's mind came back to where she was, yet a piece of it lingered on a lost lover and what seemed a lifetime ago, events that had long since been forgotten on the universe. She gave a heavy sigh and continued toward the city. A few hundred yards ahead she saw a fine and immense arch above a wide black road; atop the arch "MADRIS" was read. Even at this time of night, a sparse amount of travelers with small lanterns or magical puffs of light, clung to their wagons and strange vehicles. She stopped for a moment, as if a familiar feeling had set its gaze upon her; deja-vu? Or was it something else that pulled at her. Shrugging it off, she continued on her way.
 
World Event, Tauxite
Still a few hours journey, the roach like vehicles had gone from a smooth glide to a careful tread as they began crossing into the outer Neiklot Territory. Its edgers marked by creeks running through the now rolling hills. Still a few hundred miles and half a days ride until Neiklot and its North forest-marsh came into view. They took to a single path, making a line of fifteen black mounds roaming through small valleys and circumventing creek beds. Even as they broke through bits of foliage and rock they made hardly a noise; mechanical prowlers in the night. Their purpose unknown, they drew closer to their destination.

Far back to the East and deep within Tauxite something begun to stir with a mechanical whir and deep groans. Past the great walls, pillars of towers and layers and sublayer's beneath the surface. The light grew artificial and sterile beneath, homes marked with prefix's and numbers and an eerie silence complimented by the occasional stirring of vagrants in dark alleys and maintenance tunnels. There was a spark followed by an alarm which blared four times, its echo amplified and traveled through and out of the city and it went dark. The click of a circuit breaker by five hundred fold and total darkness bathed the city streets, leaving only the waning moon to leave a blue-white hue across its sleek skyscrapers. This lasted for a few moments and the power returned to the city as if it were never noticed.

Deep within now, a new hum overshadowed and overpowered the other present machines, motors and mechanisms at work.
A green light emanated from the deepest steel caverns beneath.
 
Glistening lights filled with magical energies flickered in the soft wind, but their strength diminished none. A soft hue of blue emanating from them, as well as a soft trickle of chiming sounds as if it too were part of the ambient wildlife. This city was unlike anything Tiana had encountered before, though late and much of it's populace appeared to be within their dwellings for the night, some few still moved about with strange carts bearing runes. Possibly automated mechanisms? Tiana was unsure of this place, but what more could she do but explore this new world? Without hesitation she moved forward along the stone lay roads which lapped around the city as unstrung twine, tying together it's many structures.

"Oh, devour me." A disembodied voice whisked itself to Tiana's ear and she spun to see what appeared to be a shop, lights aglow, a lovely orange light pouring from its tinted windows. She eyed other builds which seemed to slumber, but this one seemed inviting. Looking up translucent letters hung from the balcony reading, "Devour Me." With a shrug she invited herself in through its open door. Music played somewhere beneath the floor, sounds she'd never heard before with a strange beat. Tables scattered the floor opposite a wide kitchen window with a lone elderly woman staring at Tiana, motioning her to come over.

"Hell dear," Her voice scarred and aged, yet a comforting tone embraced it, "Come on here, don't be shy. Let me have a look at you. Hmmm, you're not from around here now, are you?" Long grayed hair with strands of black poured down the woman's back over her thin frame and chocolate coloured blouse, her eyes of the same colour. With a smile her wrinkles tightened, "Koul is it?"

"How do you..."

"There are those of us here who are clairvoyant child. You were bound to tell me your name, therefore I could see it. Please have a seat, others will be coming soon."
 
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